Packing case



M. ROUND Jul a; 21, 1938.

PACKING CASE Filed Dec. 16, 1955' V attorneys.

Patented June 21, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application December 16, 1933, Serial No. 702,821

r In Great Britain March 24, 1933 1 Claim.

This invention comprises certain improvements in or relating to packing cases. The present invention has for its object a packing case which is strong and rigid whilst being of light weight.

According to the present improvements, four plywood panels forming the wall of the case and arranged at the corners so that the edge of one panel abuts against the face of the adjacent panelQstrips of metal bent into L-shape in cross section and fixed at the corners on the outside to fix adjacent panels together, and a top and a bottom for the case each comprising a rectangular plywood panel fixed to a rectangular batten frame and each fixed inside the ends of the case with the plywood panels on the inner side and with the edges of the panels and outer surface of the battens in direct contact with the walls of the case, and the lid and bottom being adapted to clamp the walls of the case against the L section metal corner pieces. When the case is to be made returnable the lid or bottom of the case is fixed in position by means of screws which are passed through the depending limb of L section metal strips fixed to the batten frame on the lid or bottom and through the walls of the case and screwing into the said battens, the L section metal strips fixed to the battens extending only between the L section metal strips at the corners of the case.

Referring to the drawing:-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a packing case constructed according to this invention.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional plan view on the line 2-4 Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional side View on the line 33 Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view showing a method of fixing the lid when the case is returnable.

According to a convenient embodiment of the invention, the packing case comprises four rectangular panels of plywood l which are arranged with the edges of twoopposite panels directly abutting against the faces of the other panels and fixed together at the corners by lengths of strip metal bent into L-shape in cross section, a number of fastening devices being passed through each limb of the angle strip and through the plywood. The L-section strips 2 are of the same length as the case and are placed on the outside corners thereof. The fixing devices conveniently comprise bifurcated the case to thus clamp the angle strips tightly on the corners of the case and to-cause the same to hold the abutting edges of the panels I tightly together. The case will thus be sealed along its full length at the corners and therefore it will not be possible to steal or damage the contents by prizing open the corners ofthe case. The lid and bottom of the case each comprise a plywood panel 4 of a size to fit inside the ends of the case and such panels are stiffened by means of battens around their edges. The longitudinal battens 5 extend the full length of the panel 4 and are recessed on the inner face at each end to receive the transverse battens 6, and nails or other suitable fastening devices are passed through the longitudinal battens into the transverse battens. The lid and bottom panels 4 are fixed to the batten frame by nails or other suitable means. The bottom is fitted in the case with the panel on the inside and the bottom surface of the battens flush with the bottom of the case, and with the outer surface of the battens and edges of the panel in direct contact with the walls of the case, and is fixed in position by nails 7 or the like knocked through the walls of the case, between the metal corner pieces 2, into the battens. After the case has been filled the lid is fixed in position with the panel 4 on the inside andwith the top surface of the batten frame flush with the top edge of the case and with the outer surface of the battens and edges of the panel in direct contact with the walls of the case, and fixed by nails la or the like. In some cases it may be desirable to make the case returnable and therefore provision must be made for removing the lid without damaging the case. For this purpose, as shown in Figure 4, the upper edges l a of the case, between the metal corner strips, are adapted to be engaged between the side faces of the longitudinal battens 5a and the down limb 8 of an inverted L section strip 9 fixed to each longitudinal batten. A number of holes are drilled through said down limb so that screws Ill may be employed for fixing the lid in position. The batten frame is made from a suitable hard wood so that the screws can be repeatedly screwed into position and removed. The bottom of the case may of course be similarly fixed.

The packing case constructed according to this invention is of light weight and great strength and moreover does not require any particular skill to assemble. By suitably varying the thickness of the plywood or other panels and the thickness or material of the L-section corner strips the case may be made strong enough for any purpose. If desired shorter L-section metal strips may be also fitted to the inside corners of the case.

I claim:

A packing case comprising four thin plywood panels forming the four side walls of the case and arranged at the corners so that the edge of one panel abuts against the face at the extreme edge of the adjacent panel to form a right angled corner on the outside, strips of metal bent into L-shape in cross section and fixed at the corners on the outside to form the sole means of connecting adjacent panels together, the four side walls and said L-shaped strips being assembled together to form one unit of the case, and a top and bottom for the case each comprising a rectangular plywood panel and a rectangular batten frame to the face of which the panel is secured and each fixed inside the ends of the case with the plywood panels on the inner side and with the edges of the panels and outer surface of the battens in direct contact with the side wall panels of the case, and the top and bottom forming stays giving rigidity to the sides of the case formed by the plywood panels, the said top and bottom being fixed in the previously assembled side walls and corner pieces, and means for detachably fixing the top or bottom of the case comprising L-shaped metal strips fixed to each of the battens of the top or bottom of the case and extending along each batten with one flange fixed to the top of each batten and one flange being offset from the side of the batten to form a groove and such latter flange being adapted to lie when fitted outside the wall panels and fixing screws which pass through the latter flange and through the wall panel into the batten to which the L-shaped member is fixed.

MARK ROUND. 

